The Class of 2011 was released in the company of other Whooping cranes that are wintering on Wheeler NWR.

Image: David Sakrison

Click
image for more arrival day photos.

Feb. 8, 2012

The young cranes were fitted with identification bands and tracking transmitters.

Feb. 4, 2012

The Class of 2011 cranes were transported by road about 70 miles to Wheeler NWR in Alabama. A total of 119 days passed between their departure and this "finish line."

Jan. 29, 2012

Today's flight attempt failed when the cranes appeared to be "done migrating" after many delays in Alabama. Pilots halted migration and arrangements will be made to move the cranes to a suitable wintering location.

Jan. 13, 2012

The team at Operation Migration marked the end of a stand-down period of the 2011-2012 migration. They re-started the migration "clock" with Jan. 13 being Day 75.

Dec. 21

Last flight of the 2011 fall migration before bad weather and an FAA investigation halted the migration to grant a waiver to continue.

Oct. 21

DAR cranes are set free in the company of older wild cranes as migration time nears.

Ultralight-led female #2-11 goes missing after dropping out of the flight.

The Direct Autumn Release chicks were transported to
their release site at Horicon NWR.

August 1

All
the birds seem eager to follow the aircraft. Whether they’re
flying, or just catching ground
effect, Eight or nine of them will flap after the
trike but none of these
colts can quite take off with the trike yet.

July 19

All
but the youngest bird can get airborne for short distances,
and the oldest birds are just starting to fly.

July
15

The
large overhead wing was added to the trike today. The colts
have been following the wingless trike until now, so the shadow
of the big wing was scary to them. Grapes for treats got them
over it quickly!

June 28

The
Class of 2011 arrives at "Flight School" at White River
Marsh, Wisconsin. They traveled from Maryland via private jet and
van.

April
28

Chicks
for the 2011 ultralight flock began hatching at Maryland's
Patuxent WRC.
Chicks start training with the trike (without its wing) when they
are just a few days old.

Try
This! Journaling Question

How
do this year's events compare with the same events for last year's
chicks in the new Eastern flock? For comparison, see: 2010
Timeline Events.

A
costumed pilot drives the trike around the outside of the circle
pen with the little chick safely inside."Robo-crane"
drops mealworms to encourage the little chick to follow the plane
as it drives around the fence in a circle.